Another thing to do with the blues is how they were recorded. They were done on the quick, and some of that stuff was made on wire, not even tape, let alone digital.

Richards is pointing to the material conditions that shaped early blues: limited studio time, rudimentary equipment, and recording media that predated magnetic tape. By emphasizing that performances were captured “on the quick,” he suggests that the blues’ power often lies in immediacy—first takes, rough edges, and unpolished emotion—rather than in later ideals of technical perfection. The mention of wire recording underscores how technology can imprint itself on aesthetics: noise, compression, and narrow frequency range become part of the sound and, in turn, part of the genre’s aura of authenticity. Implicitly, he contrasts this with modern digital production, where endless revision can dilute spontaneity.